Breaking Points
by Skarlet Is Determined
Summary: (Set in 'The Clone Wars' TV Series) Everyone hits rough patches - but soldiers definitely more so than most. And sometimes, Twitch just can't keep herself as calm as she'd like.


_[A.N. ~ Hey! Just letting you know that one, this is a short story meant to take place directly after events early in season three of 'The Clone Wars', so spoiler warning there! Two, this was written pretty late when I was drop-dead tired, so I apologize for any mistakes with spelling or grammar! Twitch has been having a much worse week than I was a day, so she needed a hug... Just a bit of a more humanizing part that I'll probably include in her re-written story.]_

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Twitch dragged herself into bed slowly, eyes half lidded in anticipation of sleep and shadowing over the bruise-like bags already beneath them. As though her body had been half frozen, it stiffly lowered her down and she just pawed the blanket carelessly over her trembling frame with the same level of dexterity a rusty nutcracker would present.

However, the physical exhaustion was hardly the tip of the iceberg as she lay in motionless silence that banished sleep against all odds. Ironically, the quiet was a great aid to her inability to escape into the comfort of unconsciousness, as it loaned no distraction to the young soldier from recent troubles. No distraction from the living nightmare she shared with every other member of the GAR.

Honestly, it seemed she could get no break, and neither could Tail. He was in a med bay recovering from surgery that had most definitely saved his severely-endangered life, and she couldn't visit him for a few specific reasons. On top of that, said injuries had been acquired there on Kamino of all places, so there had been the stress of droid and Kaminoan threats the entire time, along with massive amounts of clone deaths. Add that to the insomnia gathered from the simple anxiety over returning to said planet at all, and it seemed as though the universe was being excessively cruel.

Kriff, that wasn't even the end of it - Fives and Echo would be leaving the battalion soon for ARC training, and after that, there would be very little interaction with them. That was, assuming neither didn't simply die in the line of duty like the thousands of brothers before them…

Overall, the last week had been a gradual build-up of stressing issue upon other stressing issue. And really, she had to question if she was being too dramatic about things. Was she overreacting? The other troops were dealing with a lot as well - hell, some had lost their closest friends to death's unyielding grasp, and she was lucky enough to have Tail still alive at all…

But…still, whether she felt it justified or not, the tears began to fall and she slowly curled in on herself. A sudden burning pressure clawing its way through her chest prompted a hand to pounce between her rapidly clenching teeth, barely making it in time to stifle a breathy sob. Her body shivered violently for a moment to disperse the sudden pressure that had meant to be released before her jaw bore down just a little more.

Between a sudden ferocious focus on breathing and the aching pain her poor hand was experiencing, gradual artificial calmness took hold slowly with its numbing claws that pierced into her heart - sure to leave only a greater pain when they finally released. However, that temporary relief was all that was needed. Minutes of drying tears and mulling gradually led to a simple conclusion and Twitch stood from her bed and slipped to the door, hand now released and clenched.

If anyone were to ask what the most harrowing part of the entire trip to Kamino was for her (besides the wait to hear if Tail would survive surgery or not), Twitch's honest answer would have to go to the agonizing trip from her lonely quarters through the many hallways of the Kaminoan city to the room holding Fives and Echo. Between containing the rapidly-returning emotions and generally triggering process of passing Kaminoans and being surrounded by their architecture, she could hardly resist just sprinting.

And yet, finally, she managed to make the trip and knocked tenderly on the door, as though it might shatter with too much force. Guilt began creeping through her veins once more, turning her blood acidic with regret as the thoughts of how tired the two men must be and how selfish it was to disturb them assaulted her mind. Nearly turning away, her slip-shod escape died instantaneously as the door opened and displayed Echo in all his drowsy glory.

"I– s-sorry, I– uh…" Silent curses poured through her mind as she lost her ability to speak, staring up at the man and mouth partially open with words dead on her lightly trembling lips. The bleariness left by disrupted sleep disintegrated from his face with every passing moment of gradual desperation and anxiety blooming over Twitch's face. Finally, her jaw snapped shut and a small cough disguised what would have been an otherwise distressed noise. "Sorry, just…c-can I spend the night?"

Finally, understanding seemed to line the cogs in his mind and sent them spinning to pull a gentle, kind smile over his face and crank his head in a smooth nod. Moving aside, she was led in by an arm around her shoulders - one oddly soft in its touch despite the strength it was capable of. The door shut with her inside soon, and the pair returned to a couple of bunks - one of which bore a log of fabric that was Fives.

With his usual patience and kind temperament, Echo coaxed the shy girl to the second bunk and sat them both down with the same care a mother bird may display with her young come nightfall. It was odd but soothing to have someone larger and just as dangerous as herself being so gentle, yet once laid down with her held against his broad chest lightly, the tension began gradually draining from Twitch as she accepted the reality of current safety.

She and Tail had occasionally spent nights in the same bed, however she was commonly the one offering comfort - now was the first time she was fully allowing herself to break down in someone else's arms. And break down she did, hugging Echo close and hiding her face in his shoulder as the stress leaked in the form of tears. All the worries and concerns of judgement or rejection faded as he simply held tighter, almost as though to squeeze out more of the droplets from her eyes.

It had been common knowledge ever since she'd started spending more time around the clones that there were no physical boundaries with comfort during down time - hugs, sharing bunks, or resting whilst in contact were all sights often seen. There truly was no shame between troops on the subject of caring for each other, be it a casual hug or holding each other as one cries.

In Echo's arms, Twitch simply cried and shivered, keeping them in the same position for minutes on end until, oh-so gradually with the pacing and smoothness of a hawk watching for prey, she began going limp. Breaths became deeper and longer to resemble water lapping at a shore, and the tears gave up their exodus down her cheeks - the only proof of them ever having fallen being shining trails, puffy eyes and darker stains on the man's shirt.

Slow and steady, she mindlessly sank to sleep with all the pent-up emotions spent. And with his caring duty done, Echo pulled the blanket around the both of them before allowing himself to follow suit.


End file.
